Positive thinker I want you to recall some time in your life when something didn’t go according to plan. Now you may be asking yourself, “Isn’t this blog supposed to be some sort of haven for positivity?” Well worry not, it is still a blog dedicated to positivity, and recalling a disappointing time in your life may not seem very positive, but for the purposes of this one particular post, I would like you to recall a disappointing moment in your life…

Do you have it yet?

Ok, Good.

Now, put yourself back in that moment. This disappointment that you felt didn’t make you feel very good, did it? Disappointment never does, but sometimes things happen that are completely out of our control. We may plan and plan and plan some more so that we can make sure that what we have envisioned for ourselves actually comes to pass, but sometimes all of that planning won’t stop us from experiencing disappointment. Sometimes unforeseen factors occur, and these factors get in the way of making that thing that we wanted to happen happen.

Now this next part of the exercise will be easier for you to do the further in the past your disappointment occurred. If your disappointment happened this morning, then it may be a tad bit harder for you to do the next part, so if you genuinely can’t continue on with the next part of the activity then try coming back and doing it in a day or two. Chances are though, if you think hard enough you will be able to do this next part right along with those people who recalled a disappointing moment from years ago.

Next I want you to recall at least one thing that went your way after that thing that didn’t go your way happened. Do you remember that time that you planned and planned and planned some more, but instead of things not working out in your favor, they actually ended up going your way? And don’t just limit yourself to thinking about one moment when something went your way. Chances are that if you sat down and made a list of times that things went your way, that those items on your list would exceed the amount of moments that things didn’t go your way. Yes it’s true that sometimes things don’t end up working in the way that we want them to work, but it’s equally true that there are times when all of that planning will pay off and we can actually achieve what we want to achieve. And when that does happen, it makes us feel great!

Sometimes it’s hard for us to think of the good in our lives. It’s a lot easier for us to think about the negative things that have happened to us. When we feel bad about ourselves or about our situation it becomes all too easy for us to think about more bad moments, but that’s the last thing that you should be doing when you find yourself in a situation where things haven’t gone your way. If you ever find yourself staring down at another moment when something hasn’t turned out the way that you wanted it to turn out, then you should try and think about moments when things have turned out the way that you wanted them to. Doing this will not only help to bring you out of your bad mood, but it will also help to encourage you to look forward to receiving more good moments in the future.

Positive thinker, one disappointment doesn’t mean that your life is going to be full of nothing but disappointments. Nobody’s life goes according to plan 100 percent of the time simply because that’s not how life works. We have disappointments and things don’t always go our way, but just because this is true doesn’t mean that we have to allow these moments to have control over our lives. You can choose to dwell on them if you wan to, but I guarantee you that if you do that you’re only going to attract more negativity into your life. However, if you want more positivity to enter into your life then choosing to not dwell on these moments can actually help you to bring more positivity in your life. If you focus on the next big thing and wanting the next big thing to happen then you might actually be able to get that next big thing. On the other hand, if you spend time focusing on that thing that didn’t go your way then you won’t have time to focus on having the next big good thing enter into your life.

Life may have disappointing moments for you positive thinker, but you should leave these moments in the past where they belong. Focus on the good moments so that you can attract more of these moments. And better than that, focus on the here and now and be present in where you are in your life right now so that you will be able to prepare yourself for whatever good may come your way next.

Remember, “Just because the past didn’t turn out like you wanted it to, doesn’t mean your future can’t be better than you ever imagined.”

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I have a serious question that I want you to think about positive thinkers…

How happy are you with how your life is going?

If your answer to this question is that I’m pretty happy with how my life is going or some variation of this answer then good for you! Keep on doing whatever it is that you’re doing that’s making you feel that way. For those of you who aren’t too happy with how your life is going, this next part is for you.

People can live a hundred years and end up not truly living a single day of those hundred years. If you’re wondering how this can be true, then ponder this…

What’s the point in living a hundred years if you’re not going to make sure that you make those years count?

If you’re not living a life that you enjoy, then are you truly living? Your life should be full of happy moments positive thinker. And in case you didn’t know it, happiness is a state of mind, so you can choose to be happy. If you’re not happy now, then all you need to do is decide that you’re not going to take being unhappy anymore. Instead, choose happiness. And the first step to finding happiness is for you to decide to choose positivity over negativity.

You can do this by becoming more aware of how you’re feeling and when you’re feeling it. When you pay attention to your emotions as they happen to you then you can change them if you don’t like the affect that they’re having on you. For instance, if you’re having a conversation with a friend, be alert and aware of how you’re feeling the entire time that you are conversing with this individual. If the conversation makes you feel happy then allow yourself to feel happy, but if the conversation doesn’t make you feel happy then being aware of your feelings while you’re feeling them can allow you to notice that the conversation is making you unhappy. And if the conversation is making you unhappy, then you can do something to change that unhappy feeling. Don’t let the moment pass and then remember hours later that you were unhappy earlier and should have changed your way of thinking when your unhappiness was occurring. Yes you may still remember in the future to not allow that kind of event to make you feel unhappy, but if you learn how to address how you’re feeling in the moment when that unhappiness trigger occurs then you will be better equipped for future moments when something similar happens. Don’t let the unexpected and unwanted things that enter into your life stop you from being happy. We are all going to deal with bad moments. That’s just a part of life, but we don’t have to let these moments stop us from living our life with joy.

And positive thinker, part of living with joy is living a life that gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment, not emptiness. If you wake up everyday and think to yourself that there has to be more to life than this life that you’re living, then you’re probably right. You’re not supposed to have that feeling. You shouldn’t have that feeling because you were put here on this earth to live your life to the fullest. If you’re not feeling fulfilled then it’s your job to go out into the world and find that something that makes you excited to live. And don’t live somebody else’s version of a fulfilling life. Live your version of what it should be. You’re life is a gift positive thinker and gifts are meant to bring joy to the person that they are given to, so you should enjoy your gift of life for your entire life, just like the oldest man in the world did until the day he died…

Last Tuesday Yasutaro Koide, the oldest man in the world, passed away. He was 112 years old. In August, when he became the world’s oldest man, he was quoted as saying that his secret to living a long life was due to the fact that he didn’t smoke or drink, that he tried to not overdo things, and that he tried to “live with joy.” This last part is the critical part. He chose to live life with joy. He could’ve done all of those other things, but without living with joy, those 112 years of life probably wouldn’t’ve been as fulfilling or special. We can watch what we eat and we can refrain from drinking and not overdoing things, but if we do all that just so that we can live to be over a hundred years old but we fail to live those hundred years with joy then all that other stuff doesn’t really matter.

Remember positive thinker, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

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It’s really easy to walk around the world with your eyes half opened. It’s easy, but when you go through life with your eyes partially concealed then you can’t see the world in its entirety. Since you’ve chosen the easier path, you’re also probably only choosing to see the things that you want to see…

You get stuck in the rain and all you can think about is how inconvenient that water falling from the sky is for you. Your eyes are only half way opened so you can’t see that the little bit of rain that’s dripping from the clouds up above are providing nourishment for all of the crops on the ground that will fill up your belly once they’re ripe and ready to be plucked from the ground and on to your plate.

That annoying coworker who always has something to say and will never shut their mouth up is only viewed as a pain in the butt for you when you look at the world through partially concealed eyes. On the other hand, when you open up your eyes to see all of your coworker then you will be able to realize that even this person that gets on your nerves from time to time has redeeming qualities that you just weren’t able to see when your eyes were closed.

Seeing the good in other people is a way for you to spread positivity. Many of the posts I write on here talk about ways to increase positivity in your own life, but it’s important for you to go out and spread the positivity that you acquire. You shouldn’t just keep positive thinking to yourself; you should go out and share it with those that you encounter on a daily basis. And this can be as easy as choosing to see the good in others. This is something that you should want to do, but it’s not always something that is engrained in our way of thinking…

A lot of us live in communities and cities that teach us that we’re supposed to focus on ourselves. As long as we feel good then that’s all that really matters. My positive life style is making me feel better and that’s good enough for me. If this is your attitude then that’s an attitude of me-thinking not positive thinking.

There are some people out there in the world who only hear negative things about themselves. It’s always things like “you’re worthless,” “you can’t do anything right,” or “you’ll never amount to anything.” The thing is that when you start to hear these kinds of things all of the time, you may actually start to believe those things about yourself. When all you hear is negativity, you stop expecting to receive positive messages. You think that since the world views you in such a negative light that these things must be true and so you take them up as your own truth. But just because the world views this person in half opened eyes that only allows them to see the bad things about this person doesn’t mean that there’s only bad in this individual. You, positive thinker, have the opportunity to make the life of somebody like this a little more positive just by choosing to see the good in them. By being that beacon of positivity you just may just allow this person to start seeing themselves in a more positive light.

Remember the last time you received a little bit too much negativity from the people you encountered? How did it make you feel? I’m sure you weren’t happy about it because being belittled doesn’t tend to make anyone feel better about themselves. Wouldn’t it have made you feel a whole lot better if you could’ve have had somebody there to remind you of the good that they see in you. Wouldn’t you like to be that person for someone else?

Take up the challenge to walk around the world with your eyes fully opened because once you start walking around the world with the ability to see everything more clearly then you will also be able to be that beacon of positivity for those people that you come across in your life.

Wally had one of those days again where he decided to just watch Youtube videos for hours on end. He found this video on Soul Pancake’s page that really touched his heart. The positivity that is in this video radiates through the screen and you just can’t help but smile.

Watching this video helped Wally realize that expressing your gratitude and appreciation for someone in your life not only lifts their spirits, but will lift yours as well.

He wants you all to attempt this exercise. If you’re in a dark place and want a little push towards the light then this exercise should do just that. .

Wally thinks that doing this is going to help improve your happiness and bring positivity into your mindset.

Go out and find the person who inspires you the most or has had a great impact on your life and tell the how much they mean to you. Wally is going to go find his too.

Wally was scrolling down his facebook timeline and found a very touching video for you all! It brought this huge smile across his face and he hopes it will bring a smile to you too. This video helps you to remember that even when you have nothing, you are still capable of happiness. Click here to Enjoy!

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“ As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has—or ever will have—something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression. ”

As the year comes to a close, we are all thinking about resolutions and what we want to change in the new year. One of ours here at Positivity Works! is to continue to encourage a healthy and optimistic view on life for both our readers and ourselves. In that effort to bring us all into the new year with a smile, we have found a great video supporting wondrously positive ideas about kindness and it’s ability to improve happiness. The music is pretty cool too. So why not take a look? Maybe it can inspire you to spread the kindness, too!

“The Life Vest Inside (click here to learn more about their mission) is a nonprofit organization that “works to cultivate the awareness that individuals can effect real and positive change in the people around them, simply by ‘living kindness:’ by embodying empathy and compassion in our day-to-day lives.” Wowza!!!! We heart this idea and their video. Enjoy!

Disney…this is an oh so welcome addition to your greatness! ❤ The Walt Disney Company put together an awesome “It Gets Better” video in support of The Trevor Project (an anti-bullying campaign mentioned in a previous Positivity Works! blog, click here to view). The video includes interviews with Disney Cast Members (aka employees) who have experienced bullying in their lives as a result of who they are and they even offer great advice about who to contact if you get to that point when you either “want to end it or break free [of the insecurities and trappings of feeling rejected, unwanted, unloved, etc]”.

Need a little pick me up? Dunn dunh dunh dunnn…Wally has arrived to save the day! Back from his adventures in You Tube land, he has found a wonderful jewel of a video made by a young lady full of inspirational thoughts and a great message. The star of our chosen Video Pick for Good Vibes writes simple but powerful words of understanding. The message…Sure, life has its ups and downs and twists and turns and sometimes back-handed face slaps, but everybody hurts, you are not alone, and why not smile anyway? You’ve got nothing to lose. And if you’re feeling up to it, spread the love too!

Thanks for the motivation! You have helped us to remember that positivity helps us get through the hard times. Enjoy, positive thinkers!

Today, I woke up thinking about the word, Precipice. According to the World English Dictionary, Precipice means the steep sheer face of a cliff or crag or a precarious situation. The definition has me envisioning myself standing right on the edge of said cliff, looking down into an abyss of precariousness. That sounds scary, right? I mean…what is down there?

In my musings, I’ve determined that what lies in that deep dark place is a decision that a person is fearful of making and the dark abyss is our own doubts making us wonder if we would survive the decision (the leap) and its resulting consequences. A precipice is something that we encounter in our lives when we are making huge, life changing decisions such as deciding to change a job or become self-employed, or even when we are deciding whether or not we want to stay in our current relationships. Those types of decisions have us in a complete tizzy because they have the power to change our whole lives, our whole routine, and it can be for the better or for the worse, if we will it so.

I think all people have these points in their lives where they feel they are at the precipice of something. Something has them wanting to adjust an integral part of their lifestyles and they are standing at that cliff’s edge wondering if they would be strong enough to navigate the darkness and still land on their feet at the bottom if they took that leap. To them, it can seem impossible and that hypothetical death seems certain. They know something needs to change if they are unhappy and that’s how they got to that cliff’s edge in the first place but the fear traps them in their situation and often, that is just where their lives stagnate with minimal growth because they cowered from that edge.

But what if we had options? Instead of thinking of the leap causing pain with a broken and devastating collapse at the bottom of the dark abyss, what if we believed we could make it over and to the other side (even if we are a bit bloody and bruised when we landed?) We, at Positivity Works!, feel that a person’s confidence and belief in themselves and their reselience is what gives our minds the super powers to fly over the doubt and fear. Remember, this precipice is not literal. It was created, developed, and made darker and scarier by our own minds, doubts, fears, and experiences. We will make it through the decision we make no matter what (i.e. how hard it is, how stressful it is, how much it makes us cry), because we have trained our minds to be that strong. It is the truth if we will it so. And if our truth is that nothing in that abyss can hurt us because we created it, then we will always win. Just as whatever happens in life is just an occurence and if you believe you can get through it, you will.

Today, the word Precipice was on my mind because I have a big decision to make. But no matter what I decide, I know that I will survive because I know my mind is strong enough for the leap. I will make it to the other side and so will you, just train your mind to believe it and will your body to get it done.

If you, positive thinker, are also at a precipice, here is some musical inspiration to help you with your own leap to the other side. You’ve got this.